FROM THE MAGAZINE

The All-Female Shakespeare Production Turning the Theater World Upside Down

Four centuries ago, professional Shakespeare performances had all-male casts—no women allowed. This summer, the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Taming of the Shrew flips that history on its head.

Director Phyllida Lloyd with Taming of the Shrew co-stars Cush Jumbo and Janet McTeer, photographed in New York City.

Photograph by Andrew Eccles.

Shakespeare’s witty “battle of the sexes” The Taming of the Shrew—an exciting and tumultuous play—gives most of the best lines to the tamer, Petruchio, a man who comes to “wive it wealthily in Padua.” If it is a battle of language, he has a Kalashnikov, and Katherina, the shrew, a peashooter. This summer the Public Theater will present an all-female production of The Taming of the Shrew for its annual free Shakespeare in the Park series, in New York City’s Central Park, commemorating the 400 years since Shakespeare’s death. But with no men in the cast, how will the sparks be seen to fly? Director Phyllida Lloyd (famous for her all-female assaults on Shakespeare on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably Henry IV and Julius Caesar), has worked with the wonderful actresses Cush Jumbo and Janet McTeer before, and I long to hear the combustion of the vibrant Jumbo’s Katherina capitulating to the tall, lordly swagger of McTeer’s Petruchio.

“To be invited to the Park—the greatest free Shakespeare festival in the world—is a great honor, and I don’t take it lightly,” says Lloyd. “Our heroes and heroines stand before us! Our secret weapon? Some of the finest and funniest female clowns on the scene. We will be turning the play upside down.”

For me, the center of the play is the last speech. Kathe­rina, once tamed, holds us with an aria of freedom through deference to husbands: “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper.” It suggests it’s better to be in a marriage than out in the cold … Beautiful but complex. Well, that was then! We will, no doubt, be encouraged to draw new conclusions, and that’s what theater is for.

In the rehearsal room a ladder stands in the center of the studio, representing a ship’s mast. This particular rehearsal is the first time the company has attempted to run the first act in its entirety. Like any good adventure story, The Tempest begins with a storm and a shipwreck.

Photo: Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Sam Waterston in the rehearsal studio. The Tempest is his 13th Shakespearean production with the Public Theater and the second time he has played Prospero, the justice-seeking magician who rules the island.

Photo: Illustration by Michael Arthur.

In the corner of the rehearsal hall, the prompter, Jason Pacella, follows along on the script, feeding the actors their lines when needed.

Photo: Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Rodney Richardson and Francesca Carpanini play Ferdinand and Miranda, the young lovers. “Oh brave new world that hath such creatures in it,” says Miranda.

In the rehearsal room a ladder stands in the center of the studio, representing a ship’s mast. This particular rehearsal is the first time the company has attempted to run the first act in its entirety. Like any good adventure story, The Tempest begins with a storm and a shipwreck.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Sam Waterston in the rehearsal studio. The Tempest is his 13th Shakespearean production with the Public Theater and the second time he has played Prospero, the justice-seeking magician who rules the island.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

In the corner of the rehearsal hall, the prompter, Jason Pacella, follows along on the script, feeding the actors their lines when needed.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Rodney Richardson and Francesca Carpanini play Ferdinand and Miranda, the young lovers. “Oh brave new world that hath such creatures in it,” says Miranda.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Waterston stands center stage during a break. “The lords need to be in mics, the spirits do not. Sorry for the confusion,” announces the voice of director Michael Greif as the actors gather.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

As night descends on the theater and the company runs through their work in the empty space, the occasional raccoon ventures out on to the stage without concern for showbiz or cues.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Trinculo) sits in the house, resting as the company begins the first run-through in costume.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Photographer Joan Marcus, shooting production shots for publicity and archiving. Tonight’s rehearsal will become the visual memory of the production.

Illustration by Michael Arthur.

Rosharra Francis, an ensemble member, opens the show in a tableau to storytelling—a boat, a book, and an empty stage.